"What do you mean? Do you wish me a buena dia, or do you mean that it is a buena dia whether I want it or not; or that you feel buena this dia, or that it is a dia to be buena on?" (Ah, Gandalf!)

Anyway, a hearty greeting to my fellow Latinos (I'm a mixed-blood Yaqui, born in the USA of a tribe based primarily in Mexico.) And a salute to the Filipina from the land of a thousand gorgeous islands, too! And to each and every one of you, because all cultures are rich and beautiful in their heritages and variety, and a homogeneous Middle Earth would bore me silly.

Hi, I'm new around here, also. I've been into Tolkien since I read the Hobbit in 1963, but didn't participate in fandom until just this century. I'd heard of TORN but feared it might be too lofty for me. Now I find that it is a warm and friendly place indeed. Thank you for being here. My website http://www.dreamdeer.grailmedia.com offers fanfic, and message-boards regarding intentional community or faerie exploration.